Eating disorders

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions where you have a difficult relationship with food.

Unhealthy eating behaviours may include eating too little, too much, or worrying about your body shape or weight. You may use food to feel in control or to cope with your feelings or situations.

Eating disorders can have a serious effect on your body’s ability to get the right nutrition. They can harm your digestive system, bones, heart, teeth and mouth, and lead to other diseases.

Anyone can suffer from an eating disorder, but it can often develop in your teens or as a young adult.

The main types of eating disorder include:

Anorexia nervosa – going to extreme lengths to control your weight and shape by not eating enough food, exercising too much and/or using laxatives or diet aids. You may have a distorted view of your body, for example thinking you’re bigger than you are.
Bulimia nervosa – an unhealthy cycle of bingeing on food and then trying to make up for the overeating by purging (for example vomiting, fasting or excessive exercising).
Binge-eating disorder – regularly overeating and feeling a lack of control over your eating. After your binge, you may feel ashamed and guilty, but you don’t try to make up for this by purging or doing too much exercise.

Symptoms of eating disorders

Some of the signs that you or a loved one may have an unhealthy relationship with food include:

Skipping meals
Eating small amounts of food
Spending a lot of time worrying about weight and body shape
Making excuses for not eating
Excessively exercising
Leaving during meals to go to the toilet
Secret eating
Avoiding social events where food might be involved
Extreme focus on healthy eating
Regularly eating too many high-fat foods or sweets
Mood changes, such as anxiety, being withdrawn or depression
Frequently checking in the mirror
Using laxatives, supplements or herbal products for weight loss
Being a very high or low weight for age and height
Delayed puberty
Digestion problems, such as constipation or diarrhoea
Tiredness
Dizziness
Expressing shame about eating habits

What causes eating disorders?

As with most mental health problems, the exact causes of eating disorders aren’t fully known. But you may be more likely to develop an eating disorder if:

There’s a history of eating disorders, alcohol or drug misuse, or depression in your family
You have emotional or psychological problems, such as an obsessive personality, impulsive behaviour, anxiety, low self-esteem, or perfectionism
You’ve been suffering from stress because of a significant life event, for example starting university, getting a new job, or because of relationship or family issues
You’ve been criticised for your weight, body shape or eating habits
You feel under pressure to be slim, perhaps because of your job or society in general
You’ve been sexually abused

Help with eating disorders

It’s important to seek help as soon as you can, especially if you’ve already lost a lot of weight.

With treatment, you can adopt healthier eating habits and perhaps even reverse serious complications that eating disorders can cause.

I use neuro-linguistic psychotherapy and other therapies such as hypnotherapy to help children, teenagers and adults overcome the eating disorders that are putting their mental and physical health at risk.

“After suffering a traumatic event early in life, without realising I have become addicted to food. It helped me forget. I suffered with obesity ever since, and my mental and physical health deteriorated by the time I turned 30. Therapy with Mia helped me understand the real reasons behind my eating and let go. Letting go of my past meant letting go of my weight too. I could never thank Mia enough for helping me feel normal again.”

Emma, Cheshire

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